


Mrs. Milkovich

by Gallavichfiction



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Cute Kids, Gen, School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 19:59:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2553731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gallavichfiction/pseuds/Gallavichfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miranda Milkovich lives with her children in an abusive house, she wants to take her kids and run...but something goes wrong. //Ian's first day of kindergarten, Mickey's first day of grade one. Mickey meets a cute boy at school.//</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mrs. Milkovich

**Author's Note:**

> Majority of fic posted first on my tumblr: http://gallavichfiction.tumblr.com/post/99153786208/mrs-milkovich-part-1-target-practice

"Hey faggots get your fucking asses in here!" Dad’s voice yelled from the Milkovich kitchen. Mickey hopped down from the couch where he sat beside his brothers and ran to the angry voice. 

As they entered the kitchen, Mickey hid behind Tony. Tony was eight, and Mickey was only six, so he liked to follow his tough older brother around. But he especially liked to keep in his brothers’ shadows around Dad, who was not afraid of taking out the belt or worse. They all knew better than to keep Dad waiting because then there would be double the lashings. 

Dad sat reclined at the table, his muddy boots were on the table. Dad had a can of beer on his lips and a joint in his hand. Mickey counted six other cans on the table, and he saw the small rows of the white powder on the counter. “What the fuck took you so long?” Dad asked.

Iggy, Tony and Mickey looked at each other shrugging. I ran as fast as I could, Mickey thought to himself.

"Nevermind. Jesus Christ, you k-k-kids are f-f-fucking useless!" Dad’s words were sounded weird a little slower and he was kinda stuttering, he was also using what mom would call his ‘outside voice.’

Dad got up hastily, knocking his chair to the floor. He grabbed seven-year-old Iggy by the collar, “Have you ever sho—used a gun?”

Iggy’s eyes widened and he looked at Tony. Tony shrugged and gave a slight nod of support. Tony was the eldest, and he was the only one that Dad went ‘hunting’ with. Even though Tony was just eight, Dad took him on many hunting trips, they hunted Southside pigs or rats. But, even though Mickey had looked and looked he’d still never seen a real pig in Chicago. 

Iggy hesitantly took the semi-automatic from Dad. He held it like a bomb, scared that it would blow up in his young fingers. “Now, Mickey!” Dad grabbed Mickey by the neck and pulled him close. “Mickey hold this bottle.”

Mickey took the bottle and held it in front of him. “Dad? What is this for?”

Terry grinned, it wasn’t a malicious or violent grin…just his normal ‘Terry’ smile. “Target practice.” The drunken father, pushed Mickey in the corner. “M-Mickey hold it out to the side, now Iggy point and shoot!”

Tony looked between his father and his brothers, suddenly he began to worry about the well-being of his younger siblings. “Dad…are you —”

"Shut up kid!" 

Iggy hesitantly aimed the gun, his hand shaking fervently. As he closed his eyes, the front door opened.

Mom came in with Mickey’s five year old sister holding onto her skirt. Mom’s light blue eyes looked from Iggy to the gun, to Mickey and then back to Terry. “Terry? What the Hell!!” 

\----

Ian’s small legs trembled this was his first day of kindergarten and he was really really scared. Fiona was walking him and Lip to school. Mom was having, what Fiona would call her “down time,” and Dad was…well he wasn’t really sure. Either way as usual it was ten year old Fiona, his big sister, holding their hands as they walked the eight blocks to school. 

Fiona squeezed Ian’s hand gently, “Don’t worry,” She whispered to him. “You’ll be fine.”

"But what if, I don’t make any friends?" Ian asked, his shoulders shivering under his light fall jacket.

"You have us." Fiona replied comfortingly, giving Ian’s shoulder a light squeeze, "And besides, who wouldn’t want to be friends with you?"

Lip nodded in agreement, “Yeah stinkbrain,” he said grinning cheekily, “who wouldn’t like you?”

"Hey!" Ian immediately jumped on Lip "You’re the stinkbrain!"

Fiona was forced to interrupt their horseplay, ”Hey,” she pulled her two brothers a part easily, she was twice their age after all. She gently wacked Lip in the back of the head, “Don’t provoke him !” 

They had finally reached the school and Fiona knelt down in front of Ian putting her hands on his shoulders, “Listen to me,” She said, her voice sounding as if she was twenty and not just ten, “You are gonna be amazing today, okay?” 

"Okay," Ian mumbled. She folded him into her arms for a big comforting, motherly hug. 

"What ‘bout me?" Lip asked, a small whine in his voice "I’m gonna start grade 1!"

Fiona rolled her eyes, but she opened her arms up and allowed Lip to join them. Fiona was smiling when she released them. “Now,” she said, “We all got to head to class. But I will see both at lunch. You guys know where you’re going?”

Ian and Lip nodded in unison and they headed to the primary grade classrooms. Fiona walked to the other side of the school, she had a nervous knot in her belly. She just had to have faith that her brothers could get through the school day today. 

Ian stepped into his kindergarten class, his knees quaking with a nervous intensity. There was a small, pale, dark haired girl sitting in the back of the class. Her hair was in messy pig tails with ribbons. She wore a light blue dress, and she sat alone, but she sat up straight and confident. Ian walked over and sat beside her. 

"Hi," Ian said, his face wrinkling into a smile shy smile. 

"Hi!" The girl said, smiling sweetly, her pig tails flipping back and forth, "I’m Mandy!"

"I’m Ian, I like your pigtails!"

Mandy broke out into a huge smile, “Thank you! My mummy made them for me!”

The teacher at the front stood up from her desk and cleared her throat. “Good morning kids, Welcome to Lincoln Elementary.”

"She looks like a frog." Mandy whispered to Ian, giggling. Ian grinned back. 

"My name is Mrs. Rhodes, and I’ll—"

"-More like Mrs. Toads" Mandy hissed under her breath. Ian covered his mouth with both hands in order to muffle his laughter. 

The two of them giggled at the back of class until lunch, and they walked together to the cafeteria. Mandy waved frantically to a short first grader as they entered the cafeteria. “Mickey!” She called, “Hey Mickey!” 

Mickey spotted his little sister at the back of the caf, she looked so happy. He remembered his first day of school, he sat alone at lunch, and the other kids always looked at him terrified when they figured out he was Terry Milkovich’s son. Sometimes it was useful, to be feared, but most of the time…Mickey just felt lonely. And there was Mandy, smiling in her dress and pigtails, and sure enough she had made a friend already. 

Mickey walked towards his sister and her new friend, feeling a pang of jealousy. “Hey.” He mumbled under his breath.

"Hey!" Mandy said grinning, "I wanted you to meet Ian. He’s my new best friend." She turned and gestured toward the ginger kid beside her, "Ian, this is my brother Mickey."

"Hi!" Ian said, his mouth forming a cute twisted smile.

Mickey stayed silent. He usually just sat alone at lunch, or maybe with his brothers, if they bothered to come to school. This red-haired kid looked nice and friendly. Mickey sort of liked the way his hair shown in the light. After a second of awkward silence, Mickey just gave a nod toward Ian.

"Okay weirdos!" Mandy said rolling her brown eyes up to the ceiling, "Let’s just get in line and get some lunch!"

Ian and Mickey followed the skipping girl to the back of the lunch line, and Mickey just kinda stared at Ian. This kid had so many freckles, it was crazy!

Ian kept taking quick glances at Mickey. For some strange reason, Ian felt funny around Mandy’s brother. His stomach was doing this funny flipping thing…maybe he was just really hungry.

The woman behind the counter smiled at them. “What’ll it be dears?”

Mandy’s face broke into a huge smile, “MOM!” 

Mickey stared at his mother, he could not believe she was the new lunch lady.Her raven black hair was twisted into a messy bun with a hairnet worn over it. Her apron was splattered with the remnants of meatloaf. She smiled at her children lovingly. “Hello my babies!”

Mandy grinned from ear to ear, she was still at the age where she adored her mother.

Mickey loved his mom too, but he had seen the way this kid Randall in his class was picked on for weeks, just because his dad was the janitor. Kids already stayed away from him because of his dad’s reputation, but now people would tease him because of his mom!! “Mom what are you doing here?”

"What does it look like? I’m working!" Mickey’s mom gestured to her apron and hairnet as if the answer was obvious…which it kind of was. 

Mickey shifted uncomfortably in his jeans and could not look at his mother. He looked awkwardly at the redheaded boy standing between him and Mandy.

Ian smiled shyly and politely to Mandy’s mom. “And who’s this little fireball?” 

Mandy grinned, “This is my new bestest friend Ian!”

"Well hello Ian, love," Mrs. Milkovich said smiling her southern twang was creeping into her voice. Miranda Milkovich was born and bred in Tennessee. She had moved to Chicago when she was a teenager, because she just…had to get out of that house. "Any bestest friend of Mandy’s is a bestest friend of mine. Now y’all are holding up the line…what’ll it be loves"

Mandy and Ian pointed to the macaroni and cheese and Miranda slopped it on her plates.

Now her kids didn’t know this but for three long years Miranda had lived on the Chicago streets doing everything (and everyone) she could for money. She had a horrible life in Tennessee, her dad was…well he was not a nice person. When she met Terry she was at an all-time low. He seemed so nice, he spoke to her so gently…She shook the memory from her mind as she stared down at her youngest boy. "Hey my lil Mickey Mouse, what do you want for lunch?" 

"MooooOOOOM!!" Mickey blushed beet red at the nickname, looking around to see if anyone had heard. He had his first grade reputation to uphold.

"Oh keep your pants on" Her southern accent disappeared in a snap, and so did her smile, "I was only fucking with you! Now Mr. Picky Mickey choose your goddamn lunch."

"Meatloaf, please."

"That’s better!" His mother nodded in approval as she slopped the mystery to meat onto his plate with a squish. Mickey turned around to face the cafeteria. He carried his tray nervously in front of him as he surveyed the room.

Mandy and Ian were sitting with a kid in his grade. Mickey couldn’t remember his name….was it Mouth or Leg…or something?. Mickey was about to take his usual seat by the trashcans when he saw Mandy frantically waving to him. “Hey Mickey!!!” Her high voice echoed through the caf. Everyone stared at the small Milkovich boy, and Mickey blushed and sweated nervously as he walked towards his sister.

Mrs. Milkovich watched her children as she scooped lumps of mashed potatoes on students’ trays. She watched as they chatted among themselves, and she sighed. Miranda never had that, she never had a good school experience. Her father rarely let her leave the house, screaming that she was a whore, before she even knew what the word meant. She had been such a skittish shy girl, afraid her teachers would yell and scream at her if she did something wrong. 

It took her fourteen goddamn years to leave that house. Now, looking at her youngest son, she saw herself. Mickey looked timid among the other children, and Miranda couldn’t help but sympathize.

Miranda knew now, that Terry was not the ‘prince charming’ her seventeen-year-old self had fell in love with. He had become the very thing she had run away from, her father. She knew now, that she must leave Terry and take all of her children with her. She must save them from a life of fear. 

She would have liberated all of her children, if it hadn’t been for that goddamn rogue school bus.  
\---  
As the bell rang to dismiss the children from school, Miranda Milkovich allowed herself to smile. She was finally happy. Her whole life had been a living hell. But she was going to take her kids, and they would flee to a new life. Perhaps in Canada, England or California...she hadn't worked out all the details but she knew she could not live with Terry one more second. 

Mandy was done her first day of school and she was relieved, andfrankly proud of herself. She had made it, she had made a friend, and she had not cried once. Sophie Kasowsky cried the whole day, but not her. She was "Mommy's strong little girl."

Mandy saw Mommy waiting by the fence and she ran to her pigtails flying. Mommy smiled as she picked her up, making airplane noises as she twirled her around. "How's my angel?"

"I'mmmm Grrrrreat!" Mandy practically shouted grinning.

"Grrrrrrreaaat!!" Miranda replied, nuzzling her nose into Mandy's cheek as she tickled her little belly. "Now, where's your brother?"

"Right here."

Miranda turned to see her youngest son, the surliest six year old on the playground and she immediately dropped to the ground. She set down Mandy and she wrapped Mickey into a huge hug, wiggling him back and forth, until Mickey was smiling almost as wide as Mandy. 

"I got a surprise for you kids!!" She said excitedly, "We're Moving!!" 

"What?!" Mandy and Mickey replied at the same time, both with equally confused faces. 

"It will be great!!" Miranda said, "We can go wherever we want! And no more silly gun games, no more bruises, no more yelling, we will be free!!"

Mickey didn't understand, "Daddy won't hit us if we move?"

"No," Miranda said, "'cause Daddy isn't coming with us!"

Mandy's jaw dropped, "You and Daddy are getting a Divouse?"

"A divorce," Miranda corrected, "and we will in time, but only after we move far far far away from here."

"But why?" Mandy asked, "is it something I did?"

"God no," Miranda said wrapping him up again. "It's something your dad did. He hurt you guys, he hurt Mommy, and you should never live with people that hurt you."

"But...I don't understand," Mickey said, "he's hurt us loads of times, why are we moving now?"

Miranda nodded, her tears in her eyes. It's just taken me this long to gain the strength. Now Mickey understood, Mommy was scared of Daddy, in the same way he was; the same way his brothers and Mandy were. This time Mickey wrapped his arms around his Mom. "It'll be okay."

Miranda was wiping the tears flowing down her cheeks. "I hope so." She whispered. 

\----

Miranda, Mickey, Mandy, Iggy and Tony were scrambling around the house packing as quickly as possible. Iggy and Tony had hopped onto the 'moving plan' in no time at all. They were going to take the car and just drive North to Canada. Miranda hoped to move to Toronto, because she felt it would be the safest place for them. Terry always had trouble passing borders, he had been blacklisted because he always tried to cross with an unlicensed rifle in his back seat. 

The kids were packed in no time, and she got them into the car; but then Terry came home. When he saw the kids, the suitcases, and the car; his face turned beet red. "You fucking whore!!"

"Stay in the car kids." Miranda said desperately, as Terry charged towards her punching her in her face. 

This time, Miranda did what she always wanted to. She hit back. She head butted him in the nose and she pushed him into the street. They wrestled with each other for a moment in the middle of the street. Punches, kicks and blood flying around. Miranda shot out her knee and got her husband in the crotch. He keeled over and spit out blood, "You fucking who--!"

Miranda interrupted him, "That is the last time you touch me, do you understand me? Whore?" She grinned in success as she turned to walk to he car, walk to her freedom. But the bus came out of nowhere.

"AUUUGGGHHHHH!!!" Mandy screamed, as she saw her mother's head snapped back. She ran out of the car, her brothers on her heels. 

The school bus had come to a complete stop and the driver came out. "I didn't see her, what was she doing in the middle of the road?"

"Divousing my dad." Mandy sniveled out. Her and her brother's knelt beside their mother's body. 

Miranda never liberated her children, but she did fight for them. She fought until the very end. It was her fighting spirit that Mickey and Mandy would always remember, the strength to always stick up for the innocent and to never let anyone keep you down


End file.
